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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to fishing lures, more particularly to battery powered fishing lures. Even more particularly, the present invention relates to an improved battery powered fishing lure that has a switch that closes a circuit to provide battery power for a selected xe2x80x9crecipientxe2x80x9d, device such as a light emitting source, sound producing source or vibrating motor when the lure body is in a swimming position, for example, generally horizontally extended for a bait fish simulating lure body. The circuit is interrupted when the lure body is not in the swimming position, such as when the lure body is oriented generally vertically.
2. General Background of the Invention
Light or sound and/or vibration can-be used to attract a fish when fishing with an artificial lure retrieved by a rod, reel and line. One approach is to fish within a lighted area. Another approach is to fish with a lure that is illuminated. Several fishing lures that contain a light source have been patented. An example is U.S. Pat. No. 4,347,681 issued to Raoul Fima.
The LeRoy patent U.S. Pat. No. 4,669,213, issued Jun. 2, 1987 discloses a fishing lure that illuminates with electrically conductive eyelets providing a-means to recharge the cell.
A self propelled preprogrammable fishing lure is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,536,985.
The Livingston U.S. Pat. No. 5,157,857 discloses a fishing apparatus that includes an electronic device.
An electrified fishing lure is the subject of U.S. Pat. No. 5,159,773.
The Rodgers U.S. Pat. No. 5,330,282 discloses a fishing lure that contains a light source which can be turned off to on with a switch. Another Rodgers patent is U.S. Pat. No. 5,461,185.
Yet another Rodgers patent is U.S. Pat. No. 5,697,182.
The Yokogawa U.S. Pat. No. 6,029,388 discloses a light emitting fishing lure.
The Young U.S. Pat. No. 5,758,450 discloses a laser illuminated lure.
The present invention provides a fishing lure that can be of any artificial lure type (eg. crank bait, worm, buzz bait, ratl-trap, hula-popper, minnow, shad or other selected lure type or related tackle). The apparatus is internally powered with its own battery or battery pack. This battery pack can operate with a selected internal xe2x80x9crecipientxe2x80x9d device, such as illumination device, sound effect device and/or motorized movement device.
The present invention powers a selected lure or other like artificial fishing tackle. The apparatus includes generally three components: a rechargeable power supply, a switch, and a selected xe2x80x9crecipientxe2x80x9d (eg. light source, horn, vibrator).
A motion sensor can also be a xe2x80x9crecipientxe2x80x9d, thereby guarding the battery from uncontrollable discharge. This energy saving feature greatly increases fishing time when fishing style requires extended time periods while the lure is submerged in the water. Power supply is more than ample for any desired or known effect xe2x80x9crecipientxe2x80x9d under normal casting styles of fishing.
The lure of the present invention swims when retrieved by a rod, reel, and line to cause to a provided switch to activate to a positive(+) power feed on position. A switch housing or cylinder is positioned very near to, perpendicular to water level when the battery is switched xe2x80x9conxe2x80x9d to power a selected xe2x80x9crecipientxe2x80x9d device (eg. light, horn, vibrator motor).
Magnetic lay-in current stabilizers can be placed on the switch""s four quadrants, where contact with the ball bearing establish the xe2x80x9conxe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9ccharging/restingxe2x80x9d positions that are optimum or perpendicular to water and 180 degrees from each other.
The metal ball bearing in the switch housing cylinder rests solidly, with its full weight on the magnetic contacts, continuing positive (+) current flow to the recipient device during lure retrieval. This assures smooth current flow during cast retrieval and also during recharging. Once the cast is retrieved and the lure is pulled from the water, the lure comes to the xe2x80x9cHanging On Linexe2x80x9d position at end of rod. The ball bearing falls free, off the contacts and xe2x80x9crecipientxe2x80x9d (light source, horn, vibrator motor) now cannot be positively charged and xe2x80x9cresettingxe2x80x9d occurs.
By design, the lure turns on and off, while in use or while fishing, conserving valuable battery drain and extends life. Overheating or undesirable current flow are also eliminated.
The rear hook eyelet feeds only the rechargeable battery""s positive post. The front (lower) hook eyelet is the ground or the negative for every component of the system.
The charging position (See FIGS. 10-11) exists only when the lure is placed in the designated slot in the designed recharging apparatus. The xe2x80x9ceasy clipsxe2x80x9d can now knowingly be attached to the hook eyes and recharge the battery cells. This position is xe2x80x9cresting/charging positionxe2x80x9d and the housing of the xe2x80x9cswitchxe2x80x9d is again at or near perpendicular to the water level. but the ball bearing rests solidly on the magnetic contacts for the recharging circuit (as opposed to the contacts for the light circuit) effecting a continuing positive (+) current flow from the rear hook eyelet to the positive connection of the sealed battery unit.
The purpose of the present invention is to supply fishermen with their desire of all fishing lures, or other tackle that achieve two major accomplishments of the design: the rechargeable power supply and control of that power supply. Given this, the fisherman is asked to only choose what technology he wants in his desired lure/tackle. That desired recipient or his chosen technology is put with our invention and implemented into desired lure/tackle. The fisherman has to do nothing else but fish with his lure, as he would fish with any other lure.
The fisherman""s act of fishing will operate the present invention of switching power back and forth between xe2x80x9conxe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9coffxe2x80x9d positions. Once power supply is depleted the user must only then position his or her lure/tackle in the provided charging apparatus and connect the hook eyelets to the provided easy clips.
The present invention enables a fisherman to incorporate his or her choice of vehicle (lure body) and recipient device (eg. light, horn, vibrator motor).
The parameters of that equation are the application of one or more of the following; all available and all to be created effects of microchip technology which operate with 3.6 volts or less and the fisherman""s desire for his chosen effect(s), and all fishing lures/tackle physically capable of receiving the power source, the gravity switch and that desired effect. This establishes one of the true values of this invention; that the invention incorporates the desires of the fisherman.
Water, heat and gravity are forces at work out of our control. It can be attempted to overcome the forces to design a system but that is not the purpose of this design. The design of this invention does exactly the opposite. Until the forces are embraced and implemented into the design, the design will fail one goal or another. The achievement of this invention is its use of these forces to reach all our goals. Physics must be applied. Fishing and resulting forces of fishing set the parameters in which any design must operate successfully. This invention can only function properly inside these unchangeable parameters.
The parameters are the range of motion set forth by fishing. That is casting a lure into the water and retrieving the lure to the rod and repetition of that cycle.
The present invention provides an improved fishing lure that includes a lure body that simulates a swimming aquatic animal when the lure body is pulled through the water in an upright, swimming position.
The lure body has a light emitting device that illuminates at least a portion of the lure body. A battery powers the light emitting device.
A switch is interconnected between the battery and the light emitting device, the switch deactivating the light emitting device when the lure body is reoriented so that it is not in the upright, swimming position.
In the preferred embodiment, the switch includes a moving contact member that shifts position when the lure body is reoriented so that it is not in an upright, swimming position.
The switch can include a motion sensor that shuts off battery power to the light emitting device when a switch member generates motion that is sensed by the motion sensor.
The light emitting member can be a light emitting diode.
The light emitting member can be a laser.
The light emitting member can be an incandescent bulb.
The lure body can be hollow, and the light emitting member and battery contained within the hollow interior.
The lure body interior can also provide a switch element for switching electricity between the contained battery and the light emitting member.